Denied by Destiny: Trapped in the Shadows of the Mate Bond novel Chapter 345

~ Knox ~

“Where the fuck have you been?” Both Jaxon and Hector roar at Jace as he steps further into the room. He must have just arrived, he still had a black holdall in his hands.

I do a double take at first…was this really Jace? Gone were the boyish charming looks…instead he was lean, he had tattoos climbing up his neck…he was the complete opposite.

“Where the fuck have I been…more like what the fuck do you think you are doing?” He pushes past his father and brother until a gasp catches in the back of his throat.

“Josie..” His voice is like losing her all over again. He turns to Kaia, his hands cupping at her face as his great height towers over her.

“What are you thinking?”

“She’s gone Jace…we need to put her to rest.”

I don’t think I can be here, I don’t think I can watch as the very thing keeping her alive, keeping her in this world is switched off.

But she has already gone hasn’t she, so what exactly would watching a machine be unplugged do for me. It wouldn’t give me closure, not when she already died in my arms.

I felt it didn’t I…I felt her slip away, felt her life force leave her as she safely rested in my arms.

I still have the stains upon my hands…I tried to scrub it off but it wouldn’t go and I don’t think I ever want it to.

I need a reminder that this isn’t a nightmare, a dream…that this was my new existence.

I wished I had been stronger for her, I wished I had grabbed her by the hips and pulled her in for a kiss rather than walked away. Rather than giving her that space she wanted when I came back. If I could have a do-over, another chance, I would be the man she wanted me to be, I would make her mine. Because she was…

I need to be alone, I need to grieve in my own way. My wolf needs out. He’s not had a chance to truly process this, not in his animal form. He needs to run, he needs to smash into things.

“I’ll leave you all to it.” It pains me to say it, but I can’t be apart of this. I start to move towards the door, my eyes casting upon her one last time.